Just days ahead of Uganda’s national elections on January 15, 2026, the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations ordered at least ten organizations to halt operations indefinitely. The suspended groups include human rights organizations, media outlets, and election monitoring bodies.
The bureau cited “intelligence information” suggesting that the organizations were “engaged in activities that are prejudicial to the law of Uganda” and said investigations are ongoing, but provided no further details.
Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the move, stating, “The indefinite suspension on vague, unsubstantiated grounds of organizations whose work promotes civil and political rights is further evidence of Uganda’s disregard for free speech and freedom of association. The government should immediately revoke these suspensions.”
